francais friday

Two weeks ago we were in Paris.. it was a three nights/two days whirlwind in the city of love.
It was a dream come true for me: I have been longing to visit Paris for over twenty years.
Hubby and I travelled by Eurostar from Waterloo, and arrived at the Hotel du Pantheon just in time to whizz down to the Ile de la Cite for a quick look at Notre Dame before finding a possy at a little french cafe to watch The Game.. the FIFA final between France and Italy... what a blast.. five hundred people all drinking warm beer and chilled red wine (what *is* it with those british and french?? sacre bleu!!!) and yelling hysterically... they all cheered for Zidane's head butt. Hubby was mortified!!
I had my first croque monsieur (a glorified ham-and-cheese toasted sandwich, cost $NZ 20 lol)
The next day, walking down the Champs Elysees, (I could hardly breathe, and it wasn't just the heat.. so amazing just being there) we noticed everyone rushing to the Place de la Concorde.. and so we joined thousands of spontaneously-gathered-French-soccer-supporters yelling, "Allez Les Bleus!" and "Zizou.. clap, clap, clap.." waiting to welcome the team. What a celebration!!! What an experience.. people everywhere, up on statues, all over the huge area at the Concorde..

Le Pantheon, just down from our hotel.

It's huge, and so elaborate.

Louis XV built it as a monument to St Genevieve

after he recovered from illness.

It was finally completed at the start of the French Revolution.

People buried there include:

Rousseau, Voltaire, Marie Curie, Louis Braille and Alexandre Dumas.

(See, you learn a new thing every day!!)

La Place de la Concorde

Allez les Bleus!!